


Are We Dancer?

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Androids, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik has Feelings, M/M, Shaw is Creepy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-27 11:05:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2690549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up in an unknown room is not how Charles expects to start his day. Just like he knows he doesn't like the man who greets him.</p><p>However, Charles doesn't dislike all the other people he meets. Not at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are We Dancer?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheAssbenderWhisperer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAssbenderWhisperer/gifts).



> Lou - this isn't quite your prompt, but I hope you like it all the same.

_Malfunction detected. System shutdown in ten seconds._

_Ten._

_Nine._

_Eight._

_Seven._

_Six._

_Five._

_Four._

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Charles’ eyes open and instead of seeing the visual readings of his surroundings, all there is to see is the view of a small room, small pockets of light seeping in through holes in the curtains.

It’s odd to see something without the readings, but Charles can think of why he sees what he sees. His mind tries to wait for more data to understand what he witnesses, but nothing comes.

That is, until footsteps come closer to the door at Charles’ right and the door opens. A slim man, greying hair at his temples walks in and says, “Hello. Glad to see you awake.”

“I have never slept. What happened to me?” Charles asks, especially when he surmises that the man has items for Charles to peruse. 

“You were malfunctioning and I brought you back here to see you through it. Your outfit had no identification.”

Charles tries to remember what about his old clothes might have helped and found nothing. Moira had never been specific in his clothes because he rarely left her home.

Which raises a question to Charles’ mind that he asks. “Where’s Moira?”

The man, who still hasn’t said his name, says nothing for a long moment. “You were alone when I found you. Wandering the streets of the Upper West Side before I heard the beep of you malfunctioning."

That makes no sense though. He never leaves without Moira. “Where’s Moira? I never leave without her. Even if I malfunction.” 

Charles starts to rise off the bed and think of a way to get past this man. “I don’t believe you,” Charles adds as he walks closer and closer to the door - and the man in his way.

“Why would you believe me? I’m nothing but the man who wants to know how you worked. How is it that a droid - broken as you are now - can be so young?”

Charles has no answer so he does what he thinks is correct in a situation like this: he rushes into the other man and uses all his might to knock him down.

It doesn’t do much good, but it’s enough for Charles to get on the other side of the door and then he runs towards the brighter lights and another larger door.

-

More light greets Charles once he’s out of that man’s home, but now Charles is left on the street with no idea where Moira is or how to get to her. Normally he would use all of the protocols that had been given to him, but much like the lack of sensory data from before, there’s nothing he can find.

Slowly walking down the street, he sees other people giving him odd stares, and so he looks himself over and sees that his shirt is torn and he’s only wearing underwear. He needs to hurry and find someone safe or else the authorities will be called.

That’s never been good in his previous experiences. As if on cue, however, Charles runs into a man - a man a bit taller than the one whom he just left, without grey hair but with a devious smile - who stops them both before they fell to the ground.

“Are you okay?” he asks, voice filled with concern.

“No. I don’t think I am,” is all Charles can manage. His body feels wrung out and exhausted, legs weak at the thoughts of what the other man wants and if this man will want the same.

“Okay. Let me take you to my house - it’s just down the street - and we’ll sort things out. Is that alright?”

Charles nods and lets himself be led towards this new man’s house. Hopefully into safety this time.

-

This new man’s house is utilitarian, but it seems to fit him - classically elegant furniture and polished metal to match - and yet this house feels much more welcoming than the previous one.

“Can I get you something? Water? A sandwich?” the man asks.

“I don’t know if I can,” Charles say, because he feels that now he has all the information he needs to figure his situation out.

“How so?”

“Well, I escaped - I think that’s the word - from another house up the street and that man said that I had malfunctioned and shut down. I don’t seem to have any of my normal routines.”

“You’re an android?” the man asks; Charles only nods.

“And your protocols aren’t working?”

“Nothing is. I woke up in that other home and had none of my usual sensory data. I think that man wanted something from me, but I left before he could get it.”

“Well, I won’t have that.”

“Thank you--” Charles starts but then he switches and says, “I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Erik. Now, will you tell me about yourself and your owner so we can go from there?”

-

Charles tells Erik all that he remembers: his owner was Moira McTaggart, who lived in the Upper West Side; he rarely left the house until his malfunction; he didn’t like the man up the street.

Erik doesn’t say much as Charles retells all the details, but he does make notes and hum his approval and Charles’ choices. 

That all reminds Charles of Moira: her easy smile, her loose restrictions at home, her affection. But how can Erik already be like Moira in less than five hours? Charles sits confused by the idea when Erik leaves the living room to make a few calls.

Charles was specific about what he can remember of the malfunction and what it felt like when he woke up in case Erik can call to find out if there’s a solution for that problem. It feels awkward to not have all of the data at his fingertips, and to have to rely on cues from Erik - or that other man - to know what to expect.

Erik had left a simple sandwich - peanut butter and jelly - and some water on the table before Charles started his story and now that Erik has been gone for fifteen minutes, Charles feels just how much he wants to eat something. Because that’s what Moira did when she was tired, even if Charles’ memories tell him that he used to go into a charging station for refueling.

The sandwich is gummy in his mouth, but when he finishes it, his body feels better and so he smiles and goes to lie down on the leather couch.

His eyes close soon after and for the first time since he saw Moira last, Charles feels at peace.

-

A hand shakes Charles’ shoulder and he slowly opens his eyes to see Erik’s face near his.

“You slept well?” Erik asks.

“I think. The sandwich was good, but then I just put my head down and here you are.”

“That’s fine. Good even. You looked exhausted earlier. It was probably best for you.”

“Moira said it was always good to sleep.”

“She wasn’t wrong.”

“Erik, you said wasn’t. Do you have news about her?”

Erik nods his head before speaking. “Something happened and police hadn’t been able to locate her for a week now.”

It breaks Charles’ heart to hear that about his owner. She was his best friend and he her’s. “Is that why I malfunctioned?”

“Relatedly yes, I think. Stark Industries thinks that it might be because without her near your directives changed and then stopped. But that doesn’t explain why you seem to be almost human now.”

Charles shrugs, because he doesn’t know how it happened, but if Moira’s not around, he can’t imagine being like he was before. “I’d like to talk to someone from there, if possible, to learn more.”

Erik hums and says, “Of course. I work there so I called to ask a few favors. But before we do that, why don’t you spend a few days adjusting. I’m sure there’s things you’ll need to learn.”

“I--” he trails off and looks at himself in surprise at the wetness seeping from him.

“We’ll take a few days,” Erik says and carefully helps Charles off the couch and towards the bathroom.

-

Erik is more patient than Charles expects any grown man to be with someone who has to learn how to be human.

Charles takes all of these new steps as best he can, being careful to watch himself as he navigates the ins and outs of humanity, even if he intellectually knows what he should be doing. He knows that he needs food, sleep and to keep himself clean, but the practice of those is sometimes harder for him.

Erik watches as Charles internalizes it all, and provides as much support and encouragement as he can along the way. That, Charles knows, is unlike Moira; she had been good at having Charles understand human interactions, but she never made a point of talking about her other habits that Charles didn’t see.

-

Three weeks pass before Charles - and Erik - feel that everything is under control and Charles can go outside again.

It’s bright and sunny when Charles wakes up from a nice spare room Erik has and he gets up like he always does now and goes about his morning ablutions. 

He finishes in his own way and then goes about picking out something to wear. Erik had been able to find a few of his clothes that would fit Charles and promised that after the visit to Stark they would get Charles proper clothes. It’s a small distraction to think about being outside with Erik in that way; Charles is now used to only seeing Erik around and their new routines.

“You’re sure you’re ready?” Erik asks as he gets himself something for breakfast.

“I think so. You said I’ve been fine with interacting with you and I know I should work on interacting with others.”

“But are you ready to be more fully human?”

“I already am. I just need to accept it,” Charles replies before he goes to make himself toast.

-

Erik’s co-workers - or maybe just other Stark Industries employees - are happy to explain what happened to Charles.

“It’s not something we’ve seen in many models built here, but I suppose anything is possible,” Hank McCoy says. “You were a custom design, yes?”

Charles nods his head. “Moira was too busy working at Columbia and wanted someone else around the house. That matches your records?”

“It does. But we don’t have a good rationale for the exact nature of your transformation. Only that you’re now fully human."

“Thank you Hank. It’s good to know what I can do now.”

Across the room, Erik has a look on his face that looks crestfallen in some ways and annoyed in others.

“We done now?” Erik asks gruffly.

“You are. Thank you for allowing me to look over you Charles.”

He gives Hank a wave as Erik nearly drags him out of the lab. “There’s no need for that Erik.”

“Yes there is. You aren’t a lab rat.”

“I never said I was. But I needed to know the extent of what happened. Hopefully I won’t have to impose on you too much longer.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“Well, I don’t see why I wouldn’t. You have been so kind to let me stay with you.”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s something. Now, let’s go shopping and I’ll see what I can do.”

-

In Charles’ mind, this shopping trip would have been a success if he had come away with three pairs of trousers, five shirts, a jacket and underwear.

What he came away with was the following: seven pairs of trousers, fifteen shirts, two jackets, five sweaters and more than enough underwear to last him two weeks without problem. It’s more than what he expected and he says so again and again.

“Don’t be silly Charles. You don’t legally have rights to what Moira has and without my help, you’d just be walking around the streets in briefs again. No one wants that.” Erik nudges him carefully as he finishes and Charles feels that familiar tingle inside himself that always makes him happy.

Charles knows Erik well enough now that arguing that point will go nowhere, so he says nothing and smiles. “Thank you all the same.”

“It’s nothing. Like I said. You also helped to advance some work for me in the office so if anything I can ask Mr. Stark to write off these as work related.”

Something warm creeps up across Charles’ chest, his neck and his face, and he thinks that this is the first time he’s ever blushed.

“So, how about some dinner? You worked off plenty of calories with my running you around.”

“That sounds nice.”

-

Charles stands slightly confused at where Erik’s led them. The restaurant is softly lit, small and feels far too intimate for two people that have only known each other three weeks. Even if most of those days were alone together. Charles looks at his new clothes and feels very underdressed in jeans and a polo shirt.

“Erik, this is too much,” Charles says when Erik starts to open the door for them.

“Nonsense, Charles. I swear this isn’t anything fancy or too rich for you. I did listen to Hank.”

“But it’s so . The light’s too low, the tables too small.”

“Just enjoy the atmosphere and I’ll explain anything else later.”

Charles wants to argue, but so far Erik’s always kept to his promises so he walks through the door that Erik’s been holding open for a long minute.

The maitre d’ shows them to a small round table near the back, but of opposite the kitchen and Charles smiles softly when it’s finally the two of them.

“So you said you’d explain yourself,” Charles starts as he looks at the menu and wonders if this food will agree with him; so far Erik had been keeping him to simpler foods than what the menu holds.

“Will you order first? You’re far too nervous.”

“I’m nervous because this feels like a date.”

“And you wouldn’t want to go on a date?”

Charles pauses and thinks. He’s known that Moira went on dates from time to time - with this man named Sean who sounded nice, if highly energetic - but usually it was just the two of them. “I don’t know. I was designed to be Moira’s companion so she wouldn’t need to date.”

“Well, that’s something you didn’t mention earlier. But that doesn’t mean you can’t change. You’re no longer programmed to perform any function.”

“I’d rather not discuss this, if you don’t mind,” Charles says, feeling himself flush again at Erik’s attention and how pointed it seems to be. Had Charles missed what Erik felt before? Maybe.

“Of course. We’ll just enjoy a nice dinner and go back home after.”

“Thank you,” Charles whispered and finally settles on what he wants to eat.

-

Now that Charles thinks he knows Erik’s interest in him, it’s impossible to miss what Erik’s been doing all along. 

Erik had been quick to help Charles refine his palette for food - now that he no longer just had to make a dish without tasting it properly. 

Erik had been eager to help Charles find clothes that made Charles feel confident.

Erik had been eager to have Charles develop his own sense of self so that Erik could respond in kind.

Erik’s responses have made Charles blush and feel flustered more often than not. Because Charles has never been someone - or something - that someone desired. Except for that awful man who first found Charles.

Erik’s still unlike that first man: Erik respects what Charles says and doesn’t try to pressure him into anything that’s uncomfortable, even if Erik’s first move had been that rather-too-nice dinner.

It doesn’t mean that Charles doesn’t know that Erik’s interested, however. He can’t help but see that Erik’s trying so hard. Only Charles has no idea if he feels the same way Erik does, or if he should do anything about it.

All those old programs tell him that people fall in love and spend time together - doing a variety of things that Charles hasn’t attempted to do himself because no one’s inspired such reactions - but watching it happen with him is different than the academic knowledge.

With that in mind, Charles spends one rainy afternoon trying to think through what Erik’s been hinting at for over two months now.

Erik’s interested in Charles in a sexual way, that much Charles is sure of. But what does Charles want from Erik?

Charles hasn’t had much luck with finding a job so far; he lacks experience that would be useful on a resume as a human and his services as an android are no longer useful.

Erik hasn’t said that Charles should leave his home yet, and more to that point, Erik has asked Charles if there were any changes that Charles wants to make to his room.

So those facts suggest that Erik wants Charles to have opinions and to feel comfortable, but Charles also knows that Erik’s generosity might come at a cost.

The list - and his thoughts - don’t provide Charles with any answers and so he leaves the list and goes to see if Erik would like to go on a walk.

“I’m going to see the neighborhood in the rain. Do you want to join me?”

Erik looks up from his place in the library and smiles slowly. “What brought this on?”

“Felt like it.”

“Well, if that’s the case, yes, I’d love to join you. Let’s get some coats and an umbrella.”

Erik stands up and walks towards the door and slowly follows Charles as they move from the library to the closet in the foyer. Charles looks for the jacket that Erik found for him but it seems to be missing.

“Here,” Erik says and the jacket is in his hand, though Charles can’t figure out why. “Let me,” he says after that. Charles nods and lets himself be put into the jacket.

Erik won’t let him do the same when Charles finds Erik’s coat, but soon enough they’re ready to go.

Charles pulls up the hood of his jacket and finds that the rain falling on him feels nice, if a little distracting. More distracting, however, is Erik at his side. Like always, Erik’s warm and calming next to Charles and that only reminds him of what Erik might want from Charles.

Pushing aside that train of thought yet again, Charles sets a slow pace to allow himself to take in the different scents from the rain and the street. Leaves smell differently, just as the sidewalk does. That’s all that Charles has been looking to do.

Erik says nothing as they walk, but it doesn’t take long before Charles stills, seeing the man from his first days as a human. Erik turns and whispers, “What’s wrong?”

Charles can’t find the words to say what he’s seen, but he doesn’t need to after a moment. That man sees Charles and lets out a loud gasp and starts to charge at Charles.

“You!” the man yells. “You should be mine!”

“Excuse me?” Erik asks. “How should he be yours?”

“I found him first.”

“That has nothing to do with your delusional idea of owning this man. That’s what he is now. You can’t even own him legally.”

“And what are you doing with him?” the man asks and now Charles feels more nervous than he did upon seeing that man again. Erik’s angry, and so is this man and it’s all because of Charles.

“I’m not doing anything with him. His owner can’t be found so he’s staying with me. With his consent.”

“Yes,” Charles says. “I’m staying with Erik of my choosing. Unlike what happened with you.”

The man huffs. “No one ever says no to Sebastian Shaw.”

“Well, it looks like someone did. Now, if you don’t mind, we were enjoying a walk.”

Sebastian looks annoyed and still angry but says nothing as he walks away.

Softly, Charles says, “Thank you. I don’t know if I could have said much to him.”

“You don’t have to again. We’ll take care of it.” Charles feels Erik’s hand rest at the small of his back and lets out a small sigh. Having Erik doing that shouldn’t feel as good as it does.

-

Seeing Sebastian again completely alters how Charles feels the rest of their walk. He stays close to Erik, feeling like he needs to know he’s safe, and Erik doesn’t mind at all.

Charles figures that’s because Erik does like him, but he’s still not sure why. 

The rain finally stops after they’ve walked the same square block two times and when they arrive back at Erik’s house, Charles starts to move towards the door. “I think I’d like to stop,” he says, though he knows that his movements have already told Erik that.

“Sure. Do you want anything when we get inside? I was going to get a glass of something.”

Charles shakes his head, because he wants time to think a bit more. Watching Erik defend him doesn’t completely change what he already knew, but it does make him want to understand it. “I’ll lie down for a bit and then can we have dinner at home? I don’t want to be around too many people.”

“Of course,” Erik says before he opens the doors and they both walk inside.

-

Rather than going to his room, Charles walks into the bathroom and stares at himself in the mirror. He needs to find what about him has so many people’s attention, but when he looks at himself, all he sees is pale skin, eyes that seem too blue to be human, and a mouth that is far too similar to Snow White’s. There are freckles that scatter across his skin like they were splattered by a paint brush and hair that almost falls into his eyes.

That doesn’t remind him of anyone that he’s seen in art history books, or books in general, that are deserving of attention.

Confused, Charles goes into his room and shuts his eyes, avoiding everything else he can think about.

-

Charles doesn’t know how much time has passed before Erik knocks on his door. “I started dinner if you’re ready.”

“Oh,” Charles starts, “I hadn’t realized it was so late.”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t want to disrupt you after everything with Sebastian. Dinner’s ready in about ten.”

“Thank you.”

Erik closes the door quickly and Charles starts to move around to get ready. He looks down at this clothes and notices just how wrinkled they are after he’s been on the bed for so long. Going to his closet, he finds something else to change into and shuffles out of these old clothes and into the new ones.

After everything today, he’s going to ask Erik what he wants with Charles, plain and simple and then go from there.

It’s not worth all of this uncertainty that has developed in the last few days.

He walks into the kitchen to the smell of roasted vegetables, fresh herbs atop a chicken and something else sweet in the oven.

“This is too much,” Charles says, because it feels that after today, he’d rather have liked just a sandwich.

“And that’s the point, Charles. You’re still learning to take care of yourself and that’s fine. But let me make sure you’re okay.”

“But why me?” he asks in a rush, because that’s the crux of his confusion.

“You’re kind and sweet and generous. I’m sure you were all those things before with Moira, and it’s sad that not many other people saw that.”

“And what does that mean? You want to date me? Why can’t we be friends?”

“It means I like you and I’d like to date you, but only when you’re ready. That dinner after we went to Stark was too much, I see now. But that doesn’t mean that my feelings have changed.”

“But I can’t help out with the bills.”

“What does that have to do with dating each other? I like you, you might like me, we’ll spend time together.”

“It doesn’t feel equal, though.”

“Then when you think we’re equals we can move into something different from what we have now.”

“You made me dinner,” is all Charles can say after that.

“Yes, and you’ve made me dinner countless times. It’s no different.”

Charles wants to protest, but can’t find the energy. Sebastian’s insistent demand from earlier creeps back into his mind and he sees that aside from Erik’s dinner request, everything between them is different.

“Fine,” Charles finally says. “Let’s eat.”

-

Charles appreciates what Erik has done - and he always will - but after dinner, only slightly stilted and awkward, he goes back to his room to think more. If Erik’s been interested in dating Charles for as long as Charles has been with Erik, then Erik’s already shown a level of commitment to wait on Charles that Sebastian clearly didn’t.

That idea still doesn’t answer what Charles feels - and so the point of the walk has almost been ruined - but before Sebastian arrived, Charles felt how much more at ease with things he was with Erik at his side.

Is that what relationships started with? Nothing in his programming before - what he now considered all his previous knowledge - had suggested there is one way to start a relationship. 

It’s still too confusing and so Charles pushes that aside and finds one of the new novels in his room to read before he drifts off to sleep.

-

He dreams of holding Erik’s hand, kissing Erik’s cheek, kissing Erik’s thin smile, sharing a bed with Erik, sharing a life with Erik.

He wakes with a start - and an erection straining his pyjama bottoms - and supposes that this is his mind’s way of helping him to decide what he should do.

Taking himself in his hand, he teases himself as he tries to figure out what feels good and what makes his body react. It doesn’t take long before he feels hot all over and his hand and stomach are covered in come.

A shower does little to make him more at ease with what he must want, but he knows that he should go and face the truth.

-

Erik’s not in the library when Charles walks downstairs, but he is in the living room with the television on and a game on. 

“What are you watching?” Charles asks.

“Football - and not that shit American kind.”

“Oh. Moira rarely watched that sport. She liked baseball.”

“Well, good for her. Sit?”

Charles walks to where Erik’s sitting and falls into the spot next to Erik. He sits closer to Erik than he has before and tries to focus on the game.

Too bad Erik jumps up and yells, “You fuckin’ wanker!” at the screen.

“Is this how you’re going to be every time you watch a game?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Erik stops his pacing to look at Charles as if there’s something hidden in the question he asked.

“No. I’ll probably find something like that too. Won’t I?”

“Of course,” Erik says as he finally settles back down.

“Could I get that way about you?”

Erik turns his attention away from the screen and looks at Charles dead on. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” There’s a hesitance in Erik’s voice as he says it and Charles blushes at the thought of Erik and he together.

“I think I’d like to try dating you,” Charles starts and then stops. He takes a huge breath and says, “But only after I have a job and can help out more around here.”

Erik doesn’t say anything for a moment, but the screen erupts into cheers and a team in red uniforms starts to do a dance together. Rather than jump up at the celebration on the screen, Erik takes Charles’ hand and starts to rub slow circles against the top of if with his thumb.

Charles lets out a small sigh and moves closer to Erik, keeping their hands close as he can.

-

_six months later_

Time has been very kind to Charles since he admitted what he wants with Erik. A job in Research and Development came up at Stark Industries - and while Charles has no skills in one sense - he’s a former android and that means many things to Erik’s official boss, Tony Stark himself. 

So Charles has a job helping to craft and hone the newest Stark AIs. It’s a way to help around Erik’s house and things feel more equal in that sense. His days are spent working on making sure that what happened to him can’t - and won’t - happen again. Mr. Stark has been so apologetic about the events before Charles found Erik and Charles always knows that it wasn’t anyone’s fault; only that he can fix it so that memories and subroutines aren’t deleted when an owner disappears or dies. 

On the other side of his life, he feels very unequal. Erik’s never said it aloud, but there’s a definite idea that Erik’s had other relationships. Charles clearly hasn’t. Charles works hard at finding ways to make their relationship better, though. He’s very good at reading Erik’s mood to know if they should just come home and have a quiet meal and sit together or if they need to find a way for Erik to let off steam after a long day.

They haven’t found a way of being _together_ , however. At least not in the ways that all the books talk about. Erik’s been good and leading Charles through some of it, and some of it Charles has figured out on his own.

But still.

It’s almost New Year’s and Charles knows that the two of them are already going to a party at Mr. Stark’s Tower. Idly, he think he will ask Mr. Stark for something at the end of the night.

A New Year’s kiss and then something else that Charles knows is going to change their relationship.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to **Di** for the beta help and **Fishwrites** for some other assistance.
> 
> Title from The Killer's song _Human_.


End file.
